Meet an Insect Named ‘World Cup’

It surfaces in Meghalaya every four years to coincide with football’s grandest spectacle.

Football fans wouldn’t know about this, unless they happen to be in Meghalaya—residents there have named an insect found mainly in the Ri-Bhoi area of the Khasi Hills after the World Cup. A sub-species, or genus, of the Cicada family, called Chremistica, it lays eggs in grooves of trees. Immediately upon hatching, the nymphs go underground, feeding on sap from the roots of trees to emerge after nearly four years. It moults at least four times before growing wings and finally dying. The surfacing of the insect from its subaltern home every four years coincides with the Fifa World Cup. 

While the original local name of this insect is Niangtaser, it has been renamed Niang World Cup (niang is insect in Khasi) by the soccer-crazy populace of the hill state. Thanks to its popularity, the insect also has a festival to its credit now—the ‘Niang World Cup Festival’ was first organised at Saiden village just before World Cup 1998. 

Into its fourth edition now after being held in 2002 and 2006 as well, the festival features a number of football matches between teams from many villages in the district. It attracts people from all over the state and even tourists. 

The Meghalaya Council of Science, Technology and Environment and tourism authorities have pitched in to help the local club that organises the festival. The coveted trophy—and no prizes for guessing this—is a brass replica of the Chremistica, whose distinctive feature is white markings on its body.

The insect also has other uses. Eaten raw after it grows wings, it is considered a delicacy among locals; one kg sells for more than Rs 300! It is also a favourite with birds. The ones that survive the human and feathered predators dive into streams and water-bodies, where they’re devoured by fish.

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